20-Year trends of hospitalisation among people with dementia: a region-wide retrospective cohort study from Lombardy, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the trends of hospitalisations among people with dementia, linking region-wide hospital and demographic health records. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using hospitalisation health records from the Lombardy region in Italy. METHODS: The study included people aged ≥65 years with a diagnosis of dementia who were hospitalised between 2002 and 2020 in Lombardy, which is the most populated region in Italy with 10 million inhabitants. Using data on resident population, this study computed rates of hospitalisation by calendar year, age, sex and cause of hospitalisation. RESULTS: In total, 340,144 hospitalised patients with dementia were included in the study. The rate of hospitalisation was 100.6 per 10,000 in 2002 and progressively decreased to 65.1 per 10,000 in 2020. The average age at hospitalisation in 2002 was 78.9 years for men and 81.8 years for women, which increased to 82.0 years and 84.2 years, respectively, in 2020. Respiratory diseases caused 10.4% of all hospitalisations in 2002 and grew steadily to 26.8% in 2020, becoming the leading cause of hospital admissions since 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalisation patterns for people with dementia have changed over the last 20 years, reflecting evolving epidemiological trends and the impact of healthcare policies. Region-wide administrative health record data analysis should be further utilised to explore the health needs of people with dementia and inform the planning, implementation and monitoring of effective prevention strategies in this population group.

The synergies of University Education and Primary Health Care to meet populations health needs.

Absract: In the last decades, the World Health Organization has sensitized all countries to adopt a Primary Health Care approach in their health systems. It is also important to invest in education about primary health care. Indeed, we need to spread this comprehensive culture of health, starting from university education, and continuing during the whole work-life cycle. Due the current medical model, approaching patient by specific pathology or discipline, inefficiencies have been generated due to a lack of communication and integrated management of chronicity. Public Health can build dynamic models and mechanisms that pursue the health needs expressed by populations and education plays a crucial role in enhancing a country's resilience and protecting the health of its inhabitants. All the health workers should consider all the aspects of health, beyond the specific phases of diagnosis and treatment. Continuous education and training are key elements to focus on, to satisfy our population's health needs.